As the weather turns colder and the leaves fall, it is a good bet that Fall has finally arrived and that cooler weather is coming. Fall also is a harbinger of the pending holidays and as anyone who has visited a store recently can tell you, Halloween costumes, candy, and decorations are everywhere.
Fall also is when Knotts Berry Farm turns into Knotts Scary Farm and becomes the largest Halloween event you will ever find at a theme park as this capacity event is not to be missed.
The event runs on September 25, 26, 27, October 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 & Nov. 1 and lasts from 7:00 PM until 1:00 AM on all dates except for Fridays and Saturdays when the park stays open until 2:00 AM.
The park has their great attractions running with the classic Calico Mine Ride given a holiday twist complete with a Witch theme and other supernatural scares.
The park is decked out in a very impressive Halloween theme with over 1000 monsters roaming the park. I never cease to be amazed with the detail level of the makeup and costumes and the enthusiasm that actors put into their parts including some who slide out of a hiding space in a shower of sparks thanks to the metallic slide plates they wear.
The heavy fog that is produced is also great as it provides a great atmosphere for the event and allows all manner of creatures to emerge out of their hiding spaces in secret.
The main attraction of the event are a mix of mazes and live shows and this year Knotts hit it out of the park with two brand new mazes and a live event that was as amazing as it was innovative.
The mazes are well decorated and creepy and follow themes ranging from Trick or Treat to the Edgar Allen Poe themed Nevermore as guests are faced with an endless barrage of scares as they walk through mazes. I have covered Halloween events for a long time and I never cease to be amazed at the detail level of the sets as well as the convincing actors and costumes of the mazes which are done by some of the top people in the industry.
This year two new mazes joined several returning favorites, The Tooth Fairy and Voodoo were packed and thanks to our Skeleton Keys, we were able to get front of the line access as well as bonus content, although on opening night there were a few times that the bonus content was not available.
The Tooth Fairy is a nightmare maze where guests are confronted by demons, monsters, and gruesome dental images.
Voodoo was a spectacular achievement as the exterior was done up like a Louisiana residence during Mardi Gras but once inside, guests were given the choice of different paths each with their own unique locales which gave the attraction plenty of incentive to revisit.
I was amazed at the mix of bayou and Voodoo settings from indoor shacks to swampy marshes complete with real plants which made it hard to believe we were indoors. The dirt and vegetation made it a very creepy and immersive experience.
There were also live shows including the very popular live show with Elvira who brought her own unique mix of campy entertainment to the delighted audience.
The Hanging Show was a huge draw as this annual live show with a Western theme pokes fun at Pop Culture from the past year and this year Frozen, Star Trek, Star Wars, and JJ Abrams were just a few of the targets of the show which also features stunts, gore, music, and more.
As good as all of those events were especially when combined with great rides, there was one more surprise in store for guests and this came in the form of the new attraction, Infected.
In this event, squads of quests were armed with a laser firing rifle, and escorted into a large area of the park by an actor dressed as a soldier. We were informed that a deadly outbreak had happened and that we needed to find a scientist and avoid the infected.
Once in the zone, we had to work as a team to take out any infected that attacked us by hitting them in the head where sensors would indicate a hit and the actors would die for us.
There were numerous surprises and interactive moments such as pushing a button near a body that you just knew was about to spring into action.
The event was a fantastic experience and really put guests into the heart of a Zombie adventure.
Knotts Scary Farm tends to sell out so make sure you have your passes in advance. The lines for events can be very long so make sure you look into a Skeleton Pass as the opportunity to avoid the lines for the mazes is well worth it and allows you more time for rides, shows, and other events as you will want to make sure you see it all.
The opening night was a big success as despite a few issues with certain Skeleton Key bonus rooms not being ready due to technical issues when we visited, the mazes and attractions were even better than last year and show that Knotts continues their trend of innovative Halloween entertainment.
You will not want to miss this event, as it is truly a great Halloween event which has become a tradition for Skewed and Reviewed as we already look forward to next year’s show.
